Working toward a world without displacement, UNIQLO is providing four kinds of support. ~ The Power of Clothing No.28 ~

Working toward a world without displacement, UNIQLO is providing four kinds of support. 　~ The Power of Clothing No.28 ~

Over 120 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to violent conflict or oppression. Since 2006, UNIQLO has collaborated with UNHCR to support the growing number of people forced to flee worldwide.

Our global partnership with UNHCR was formalized in 2011. What follows are two examples of winter aid efforts conducted in collaboration with UNHCR.

In 2021, large numbers of refugees and displaced people were forced out of their homes in Afghanistan and the surrounding region. During the winter, these people were severely affected by temperatures below freezing. To help them through winter, we donated USD 800,000 (about JPY 92 million) to UNHCR for emergency aid. These funds provided refugees, particularly women and children, with warm blankets to ward off temperatures below freezing, solar lanterns, and insulating kits for their tents.

Fast Retailing and UNIQLO US also collaborated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to distribute approximately 42,000 pieces of fleece and HEATTECH innerwear to individuals seeking refuge from Afghanistan in the United States.

Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, Fast Retailing donated USD 10 million (approximately JPY 1.15 billion) to the UNHCR.

These funds were used to address emergency health and safety needs by setting up shelters, transporting relief supplies, and providing emotional support to children and their families. Approximately 100,000 HEATTECH blankets and pieces of innerwear were distributed to individuals living in shelters in Ukraine and its surrounding territories.

UNIQLO clothes can find a new purpose helping refugees in need.

Working with UNHCR and other global NGOs and NPOs, we're redistributing a portion of items collected at in-store recycling boxes as well as new items like HEATTECH, focusing on target areas and sending what is needed most.


In winter 2024, UNIQLO launched The Heart of LifeWear, a program that distributes 1 million HEATTECH items to those in need worldwide, a program that continues to this day.

In February 2025, at the request of UNHCR, 530,000 HEATTECH items were delivered to refugee camps in Jordan, accompanied by UNIQLO staff.



About 560,000 Syrian refugees have sought shelter in Jordan, but often find difficulty obtaining employment. To work toward a solution, UNHCR has created opportunities at camp warehouses for workers (paid volunteers) to help receive and distribute HEATTECH deliveries, enabling economic opportunities for refugees. Once all 530,000 HEATTECH items are sorted by size and product, they're distributed to three refugee camps, including the world's largest refugee camp in Jordan.

UNHCR gathers information on the composition of each household, including the size and number of required items, to ensure each household receives the appropriate clothing based on their needs.

This round of donations is part of The Heart of LifeWear program. Refugees and UNIQLO staff had the opportunity to interact during the delivery and distribution process. Reading the text for The Heart of Life Wear program, one of the refugees smiled and exclaimed, "Jamil! (Good!)" in delight.

In urban areas of Jordan, the living situation is sometimes harsher than that in the refugee camps. During a visit to one household in bitterly cold weather, workers provided a family with a HEATTECH and fleece. "They're so warm," the family said, smiling with relief. "Please let us make you coffee," the mother said, standing up to hug the UNIQLO staff. When they left, she waved goodbye until the crew was out of sight.

The goal is to empower refugees to attain economic stability.

Working with UNHCR, we've established training facilities for textile and computer skills in six countries in Asia, providing instruction in entrepreneurship.


How can we empower refugees to attain economic stability and self-reliance? On this front, UNIQLO has partnered with UNHCR on the Self-Reliance and Livelihood Project in India, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Aiming to help refugees attain economic independence, the program offers a wide range of professional training.

In 2022, we launched training programs aimed at developing sewing skills in partnership with UNHCR, a project at the Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh. This initiative enabled women refugees to gain sewing experience by producing cloth sanitary napkins and shorts needed within the camp. Many of the women there are single parents. We hope that by providing steady work and a stipend for the volunteers, we can help these women overcome some of the many challenges they face.

The project also creates a safe space in the camp for women to discuss their concerns among a group of peers. In 2023, 3.4 million sanitary napkins and shorts were produced and distributed free of charge to over 110,000 women in 14 refugee camps managed by the UNHCR. As of the end of December 2024, 773 refugee women have participated in sewing training programs.

As a global apparel brand, we're working to help refugees take skills learned in their home countries and share them with the world.



The official uniforms for Expo 2025 in Osaka are decorated with emblems crafted by MADE51, a crafts brand founded by UNHCR in 2021 to help refugee women achieve independence. These emblems are made by refugees, many of whom come from Afghanistan.

Fostering employment to increase stability among the displaced.

The RISE Program (Refugee Inclusion, Supporting, and Empowerment) was launched to create opportunities within our stores. Language instruction and on-site training help to ensure the workplace works for them.


For refugees to find a stable way of life in the places where they've sought shelter, it's vital for businesses to provide employment opportunities.

Since 2011, UNIQLO has partnered with organizations such as the Refugee Assistance Headquarters (RHQ) to employ individuals with refugee backgrounds in Japan. The list of stores hiring refugees has expanded beyond Japan, now taking the program global.

Part of this initiative is the RISE Program, which aims to increase the number of refugee hires and foster long-term employment opportunities. Through language instruction and on-site training, we're helping to ensure their workplace works for them. We're also organizing programs that cultivate staff members for store manager and training positions.

Bringing displaced individuals onto the team at UNIQLO is a way of making the concept of diversity an everyday reality. Currently, refugees are employed at our stores in Japan, the US, Germany, and other countries.

As of April 2025, 42 refugees are employed at 31 UNIQLO stores throughout Japan.

Out of the 320 employees at the UNIQLO Ginza store, 110 come from overseas. That's nearly 30% as of March 2024.



One of these employees is Masamba, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he taught geography and math. Seventeen years ago, armed conflict and unrest in his home nation prompted him to seek asylum in Japan. Nine years ago, with the help of RHQ and other refugee supporters, he began working at UNIQLO. Although he has raised a family in Japan, Masamba hopes to move back to the Congo someday with his children.